Together We Fight
by The-Walking-Amez
Summary: (I do not own The Last Of Us or The Walking Dead. These characters belong to Naughty Dog and Telltale Games.) Ellie encounters Clementine in winter, and they unwillingly join together to survive the harsh season. Clementine observes the effects on Ellie of being separated from Joel, who is fighting his own way back to Ellie. UPDATE: Currently on a mini hiatus until June.
1. Chapter 1-Allegiance

Ellie encounters Clementine in winter, and they unwillingly join together to survive the harsh season. Clementine observes the effects on Ellie of being separated from Joel, who is fighting his own way back to Ellie. Clementine and Ellie's tale of the seasons is not by any means an easy one, but having a companion does make the tiring journey easier.

Chapter 1-Allegiance

Snow fell thick and fast, raining down upon the trees and grounds of the forest. Raising a hand to see more clearly, Clementine searched for any chance of food, or maybe even shelter. Once again, her supplies were running low. She now only possessed a pistol, a hunting rifle and a small handful of rations which definitely wouldn't help her to survive the harshest winter she had faced yet. The bitter cold stung her chest through the thin layers of clothing she owned. Pulling her jacket tighter around her, she moved faster.

Then she saw a flash of white out of the corner of her eye... A snowy white rabbit scampered across the ground, leaving tiny prints in the blanket of snow. The peaceful imagine transfixed her momentarily, before she pondered how to catch the animal. As she inched slowly forward, suddenly the sharp crack of an arrow rent the air. Alert, she quickly took cover behind a fallen tree. "Shit." Frowning slightly at the stranger's vulgar choice of words, she stealthily peered into the clearing. By now the rabbit was long gone.

The stranger paused and inspected the tracks, clutching their bow tightly. She was surprised to see that the intruder was just a little older than her, red hair pulled back into a ponytail. Just as the stranger went to move on, the click of a gun halted them.

"Don't move." Clementine was shocked at how confident her own words flowed... And how dangerous she sounded. The girl turned around to face her, and raised her bow. Despite the harsh expression on her face, her green eyes showed fear. "What do you want here?" Clementine tried hard to keep her gruff exterior. "I obviously came here for the fucking rabbit." She said pointedly. "You should stop talking to me like that."

"Never heard a swear before?" She asked mockingly. "I'm the one with the gun here." The girl rolled her eyes. "I know you're just putting on an act. So stop pretending to be tough and MAYBE I'll let you walk out of here without an arrow between your eyes." She proposed, clutching her bow tightly. "That sounds like a threat." Clementine replied, brow furrowed. "Let's just cut the bullshit. How about you walk that way and I walk the other?" The girl replied condescendingly.

Just as she opened her mouth to make a snarky retort, an ominous groaning sounded in the clearing. A pack of runners came stumbling out of the trees, shouts renting the air as they discovered the two. Clementine backed up, the girl mirroring her actions. "You talk big with that gun... Please tell me you actually loaded it with bullets." "Obviously." "Great. I suppose you don't have one for me?" She asked hopefully.

Clementine grudgingly handed the hunting rifle to her. "I hope you're a better shot with that than with a bow." She said, as their backs pressed together. "That was one time. Get over it." The pack moved towards them and they raised both guns. "Use it wisely, then." Clementine advised as she took fire at the first runner. The bullet pierced it's brain and it fell to the ground, dark blood staining the snow around them. The girl took out another, and reloaded quickly. Just as they fell, others closed in and replaced them. "I'm out! Let's get out of here." The girl grabbed Clementine by the hand and they ran from the surrounding pack. Their inhuman shouts and growls could still be heard long after they had escaped.

The pair stopped to catch their breath for a moment. "Wow... You actually handled yourself pretty good back there. With my help, of course." The girl grinned playfully. "Thanks... But I still don't actually know your name." Clementine replied warily. "It's Ellie." "I'm Clementine." "Well,nice to meet you Clementine." "Can I get that back now, please?" She gestured to the hunting rifle. "Sure." Ellie unstrapped the rifle from her back and handed it back to Clementine. "Well... Thanks for having my back there. I hope you stay safe." Clementine started up a pathway. Just as she started walking, footsteps joined hers, much to her annoyance.

"So... What's the plan now?" Ellie asked, walking at a brisk pace. "I don't know. I wasn't really planning on you following me." Clementine answered, exasperated. "Wow... You're a real downer, you know that?" She asked, clearly unfazed. "Don't you have someone else to find?" Clementine replied, raising an eyebrow. Ellie's features softened. "I-I do... I mean I did..." She trailed off, immersed in a memory...

"We don't need to talk about it, if you don't want to." Clementine said hurriedly. "It's just hard for me to talk about. He's probably still out there... We got separated by those bandits." Ellie answered bitterly. "I'm sorry to hear that. " She said sadly. "I'm getting the feeling you don't really want me to stick around..."Ellie began. "Cut the swearing, and maybe we'll get along better. "Clementine suggested. "I'm not making any promises..." She grinned. "Your language is disgusting." Clementine teased lightly. "Wanna know what's more disgusting? This." In one swift movement, she had pulled Clementine's hat off of her head. "Hey! Give that back!" She called out in protest. "Seriously... When was the last time you washed this?" "Believe it or not, there's actually not a lot of opportunities for washing bloodstains out of hats..." Clementine told Ellie, after retrieving her hat. "I believe you... I think I own like, two presentable shirts..." She agreed. The pair laughed lightly.

"When are we eating? I'm starving." Ellie asked, as they climbed a steep hill. "We would've had more to eat if you hadn't scared off that rabbit." Ellie rolled her eyes. "Okay I'll make a deal with you... Next animal that comes across us, we'll shoot it." She proposed. Clementine wrinkled her nose in disgust. "As long you shoot it." "I'll shoot it then." She corrected herself. "Good." "Never been hunting before?" Ellie asked curiously. "I've just never caught anything... I don't have a bow like yours." "What type of bow do you have?" She queried. "I just have a gun." Clementine admitted sheepishly. "That's hardly a bow... Tell you what. One day I'll teach you how to use this."

"What do you want in return?" Clementine asked in a business-like tone. "I don't want anything in return... Maybe just your temporary companionship?" "Temporary?" Clementine raised an eyebrow. "Well, you made it quite clear you didn't want me to stick around, right? I don't want to bother you anymore than I have to... You saved my ass back there." Ellie frowned. "We'll see how things go." Clementine decided.

The pair walked on in companionable silence. Suddenly, Ellie broke the silence by whistling quietly. Clementine hesitantly joined in, much to her surprise. "Holy shit! You know how to whistle too?" Ellie asked, disbelief prominent in her features. "Yeah... It's just something that I learned." Clementine answered, taken aback. "It took me like, ten years to get the hang of it..." Ellie replied, still awestruck. She chuckled at Ellie's disbelieving tone. "You got anywhere we can stay?" Ellie asked hopefully. It had been a while since she had any proper shelter.

"No... I mostly keep moving... I'm sure we can find something." Clementine answered, suddenly serious. "We might just be in luck..." The pair said in unison, catching sight of a sizeable wooden tool shed.


	2. Chapter 2-Encounter

(AN: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story. For a while, I struggled to think of a new writing project, but then I thought about doing a crossover. I'm definitely going to be in this story for the long haul. Any feedback or comments you might have are much appreciated. Thanks everyone!)

"D'you think it's safe?" Ellie asked unsurely. "I'm not sure... We can take a look, then decide whether or not to stay there." Clementine decided, raising an eyebrow quizzically. "Got it." Everything seemed dangerously quiet. It felt like a trap, but this area was mostly empty, except from a few hunters or clusters of Infected sometimes.

"We're going to freeze to death if we stay out here much longer..." The weather had worsened fully, and it looked like an oncoming blizzard was on the way. "You ready for this?" Clementine asked. "Of course." Ellie answered confidently. "Alright. Stay close to me." Ellie laughed. "Shouldn't I be telling you that?" Clementine's face suddenly fell. Noticing her demeanour change, Ellie quickly backtracked. "Shit! I'm sorry, did I bring back a memory? I swear to god, I didn't mean to-" "It's okay." Clementine said quietly. Ellie fell silent, regretting her words at once.

"Let's just get this over with." They hesitantly descended down the hill, and looked around them, weapons drawn. The clearing was deadly quiet. The weathered wooden door beckoned them wordlessly. Ellie moved ahead, and raised her bow. Peering into one of the cracked, dusty windows revealed a closet, a couple of raggedy blankets and some tools lying scattered from their toolboxes. "What do you think?" Clementine asked, joining her. "It looks alright... But I'm not totally sure." Ellie answered unsurely, struggling to see past the dust that coated the window frame.

Clementine braced herself for their entrance, hoping against all odds that nothing unpleasant lay inside. It had been so long since she had last had a roof over her head... "On three." On the count of three, the pair breached the door and entered the shed. "Looks alright." Ellie mused as Clementine struggled to climb onto a cabinet. "Here. I got ya." She quickly lifted the smaller girl up onto the drawer with ease. "Thanks." Clementine said, surprised.

"No problem. Anything worth taking up there?" She asked, crossing her arms. "Just a couple of cans." She handed some of them to Ellie before tucking the rest of them away in her bag. Ellie offered her hand, much to Clementine's amusement, and she hopped down. As she looked behind the cabinets, Ellie resumed her position by the upended toolboxes. "A hammer... And a saw. Not much to choose from, apart from a couple of nails." She mused. "We could use them anyway." Clementine replied, inspecting a loose floorboard."I guess I can trust you with this." She passed the heavy rifle to Ellie who gratefully accepted it. "If we could find some bullets for it, that'd be great."

"I'm going to check out this closet..." Ellie said, hesitantly approaching it. "Alright. I'm coming." Clementine followed close behind. An unusual sense of foreboding filled the room. "It's just a closet... It's not gonna fight us." Ellie said to nobody in particular. She reached out and gently grasped the handle. Something shuffled within it, and both of the girls raised their weapons: Clementine, her pistol and Ellie, her hammer. Pulling the door open, the contents within stunned the both of them. A walker lunged at Ellie, knocking her off balance. The hammer flew out of her grasp and skidded across the room.

"Clem! Help me!" Quickly reloading, Clementine raised the barrel of the pistol at the walker. "You gotta move him! I can't get a clear shot!" Staring up into the crazed eyes of the walker, dread suddenly filled Ellie. "Joel..." She said quietly. A clattering sound, and suddenly blood spattered across her face. The body fell off of her, and it's head rolled across the ground. Standing above her was Clementine clutching a bloodied hacksaw. The pair of them fell into an uneasy silence... They were interrupted by a pitiful groaning. The disfigured head on the ground feebly moaned. "I got it-"

The sickening thud of metal splintering a skull cut Clementine off. Ellie threw the hammer to the ground and stared at her blood soaked palms in disgust. "Th-That's not Joel." She said in disbelief. Blinking, she saw the head's features consisted of long grey hair and green eyes. She sank to the ground and backed up against the wall, struggling for breath. "I think I'm losing it..." Ellie said quietly, hugging her knees to her chest.

Clementine sat down beside her, shaken and exhausted. Hesitantly, she placed her hand on Ellie's back and began rubbing slow circles, attempting to calm her erratic breathing. "He should've gotten us... But we got him. We're safe." Clementine said, remembering Lee's words. "I was so sure it was him..." Ellie said quietly. "Who... Who was he? If you don't mind me asking." She replied anxiously. "We've been through too much... Too much to be separated by some fucking lousy hunters." As if it was yesterday, the memory came back to her...

"Ellie. Don't go too far." Ellie rolled her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere... I just thought I saw something." She squinted through the trees. "What is it?" Joel asked gruffly, heading toward her. Through the gap in the trees, she could distinguish glowing lights heading toward them. The sky was gradually darkening... A dangerous time to be outside. "We need to go." Joel said quietly, pulling her away from the trees. The calm demeanour of the night had been replaced by a tense atmosphere... Just as they headed to the entrance of the clearing, light flooded the ground. Now surrounded, they headed to the back of the clearing. Joel's eyes widened as he caught sight of the five members of the group. "You need to get out of here." He addressed Ellie urgently.

"What? No! I'm staying here." She said determinedly. "I know who these people are... What they do. You get out of here... I'll come back for you. I promise." His tone left no room for disagreement, but Ellie persisted. "If you think I'm leaving you for dead, you're a fucking idiot. I'm staying right here." She argued in a fierce whisper. He seemed to be thinking something over, as light shone on the path nearest to them. "What are you thinking about, Joel? I hate that look. It's like you-" Ellie was cut off as Joel shoved her through the trees."Joel! I swear to fucking-" "Get out of here!" He hissed, as he pulled out his revolver. Ellie came to a stop, after hitting a fallen tree. Getting to her feet, she pulled twigs out of her hair and made to climb back up the ledge. A loud gunshot and a cry of pain made her come to a standstill. Before she knew what she was doing, Ellie fled the scene, not pausing for breath. Hours later, she threw herself down at a wall and cried. Joel didn't return that night.

Back in the present, Ellie tried to keep back the tears. "I left him... He's not coming back." She said shortly. "He made the decision. He protected you. You can't blame yourself for that." Clementine replied determinedly.

The two sat in silence for a while, before Clementine got to her feet. "We need to move this." She gestured to the body lying on the ground. Ellie stood up shakily. "Are you sure you're alright?" Clementine asked, concerned. "It'll pass." She replied wearily. "Alright. Well. How are we going to do this?" Clementine asked, raising an eyebrow. "You take the arms, I'll go for the feet?" Ellie suggested.

"Got it." After much struggling, they managed to move the dismembered body and it's head outside and into the freezing cold. Pulling a blanket around herself, Clementine tried to find the softest spot of the wooden floor. Ellie joined her beneath the kitchen's window ledge.

"What are we going to do?" She asked quietly. "We'll figure it out..." Clementine replied, before her eyelids closed.


	3. Chapter 3- Resignation

In another location, a pair of weathered boots made imprints in the ever thickening blanket of snow. Wearily, the stranger soldiered on, trying to keep track of the days flying past in the harsh winter. Frostbite would be on the cards if he didn't find shelter soon...

Sighing heavily, Joel tried to gather his bearings, unsure of where he was headed. After a while, he came to a standstill in front of a gap in the trees. Ducking an overhead branch, he entered a long abandoned village.

Rising out of the snow-covered terrain was a row of quaint little houses. Shifting his bag higher into his shoulder, he strode past the dishevelled and broken homes before stopping in front of a small wooden home- miraculously intact. Joel hesitated, hand on the door handle. By now, it was unwise to accept any help.

No, taking the solitary journey was definitely for him by this point. And really, what did he have to lose? Ellie was gone. Joel pushed the door open, trying to forget the gunshots and looks of pain on the bandits' faces. After checking the kitchen, living room and the upstairs, he deemed it safe. Taking a seat upon the sofa, he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

Travelling endlessly had definitely taken it's toll on him... Nowadays, he wondered what kept him going. Now untrustworthy of anybody, Joel could take no solace in the company of others. He had just begun to close his heavy eyelids, when raised voices sounded outside.

"I ain't staying here." A voice said shortly. "Well, you can fuck off then, Jake. What's your deal? We've been travelling for days!" A female replied angrily. "Cecilia. Jake. Please, settle down. We're not going to survive much longer if we don't get inside." An older, wiser voice reasoned.

"I don't care! Remember what happened last time we got comfortable? I'm sure John knows-" "Don't fucking talk about her!" A voice replied dangerously. "You better keep your voices down or we'll all be dead." "Sophia's right. Everybody shut the fuck up." The voice from earlier said. Joel listened intently to the traveller's discussion. "Just calm down for a second... We need to rest."The older man said wearily.

He seemed to be the mediator of the group. Jake was evidently the hot-headed troublemaker, who would get everyone in his group killed if he wasn't careful. Sophia seemed to be reasonable, and John obviously had a few skeletons in his closet. Cecilia was brash and had a mouth on her that would make a sailor blush. Just like- A pang of sadness shot through Joel.

He had two choices: reveal himself to these seemingly harmless travellers. Or he could disappear, and quietly slip out the back door. Joel took the latter, and quietly headed outside and into the freezing cold, leaving the argument behind.

(AN: I apologise for the shortness of this chapter. At least a familiar face was brought back into the madness, along with a few new ones. After thinking, I decided to include Joel, as he is one of my favourite characters. And what about an Ellie and Joel reunion? Well, you'll just have to wait and see... Thanks for reading! More Ellie and Clem next chapter.)


	4. Chapter 4-Relocation

Chapter 4- Relocation

(AN: I'd like to apologise for how long it took me to write another chapter. I've just been busy with school work lately, but I should be able to get a couple of chapters done this weekend. This is quite a light-hearted chapter, as I thought I should include some moments like this, because things are about to get pretty crazy for all of the characters! Also, here's a song choice for this chapter, if you're interested:

On Top Of The World-Imagine Dragons

That's all. Until next time!)

Ellie opened her eyes and blearily took in her surroundings. The tool shed remained dishevelled. The blood from the walker had seeped into the weathered wooden floor, leaving a sickening permanent stain. The door of the closet stood open. Ellie smiled at the sight of Clementine huddled up next to her. "Wake up, lazy." She said gently. Clem opened her eyes wearily as she stirred. "Sorry." She said, getting to her feet and yawning loudly. "It's not like I was complaining... You were out for the count." She laughed, standing up.

"Well, I definitely needed the sleep." Both of the girls did a quick check of the house. After taking everything salvageable, they stepped outside into the freezing morning air, closing the door carefully behind them. "Is it just me, or did it get colder overnight?" Ellie wondered aloud, pulling her scarf over her mouth. "Something's on the way... Maybe a blizzard." Clementine replied, shivering slightly. "Well, luckily I found something to pass the time." Ellie said innocently, pulling an old tattered book from her bag.

"Where did you get that?" She asked, eyes widening. "In that shed. It was behind the cabinet, for some reason." Ellie said, pulling it open and scanning the contents page. "It's a general knowledge book... You up for answering a couple of questions?" She taunted. "Of course. I came top of the class when it came to this." Clementine replied, reminiscing slightly.

"Alright... Can you tell me, how high is the Eiffel Tower in France?" Ellie queried, brow furrowed. "Okay, so maybe I'm not as good as I thought as I was..." Clementine admitted bashfully, after a moment of thinking. "Well, it happens to be 324 metres. I totally knew that." "You totally didn't! I just saw you checking the answers!" Clementine protested. Ellie raised her hands in surrender. "Hey! It's not my fault I'm super intelligent."

"I bet you've never even been to France before." She stated. "Alright, alright! Next question." Ellie said, in a feeble attempt at changing the subject. "Which superhero made his first appearance in Action Comics in 1938? Hold on, I should be able to answer this!" Ellie said excitedly.

"Reader?" Clementine asked curiously. "Fuck yes. I think I have every single copy of Savage Starlight that was ever printed." "That's quite a collection." She replied, surprised. "Do you read?" Ellie asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not really. Just some old books, that I can't even remember the name of."

"Back to the questions then... How many sides does a pentagon have?" "Five!" They answered in unison. "Alright, that was a tie. Next question." "What is the capital city of Iceland?" "Reykjavik." Clementine answered confidently. "My parents went there once..." Ellie gave her a concerned look, but she shook it off.

"What's the next one?" "Whoever answers this one, wins. The scales are the symbol of which zodiac sign?" This question had both of them thinking. "Libra?" Clementine tried. "I'm going for Pisces..." "The answer is... Libra. Alright, you win that one." Ellie announced, rolling her eyes. "What's my prize?" Ellie thought for a moment."One bow lesson, free of charge."

"I'll take it." She decided. They walked on, through the forest, until a large obstacle came into view.

"End of the road... How're we getting past this one?" An abandoned wooden fort towered slightly above their heads. "It can't be too hard..." Clementine mused. "Y'know, one of us is gonna have to get over that..." Ellie said, pointedly looking at her. "Why me?" Clementine asked indignantly.

"C'mon, you're the smaller one! I promise, I won't drop you." After rolling her eyes, she agreed, grudgingly. Ellie readied herself by the wall. "Just one jump, alright? You'll be up and over before you know it." Her reassurance was taking no effect, but Clementine got ready to run. "When you're running, just be careful-" Before she knew it, Ellie was lying sprawled out on the ground. "Okay... So that didn't work." Clementine said, getting to her feet.

"Best out of three?" She smiled weakly. "Fine." Ellie grumbled, standing by the wall and holding out her hands. After another attempt, Clementine managed to clear the wall and balanced precariously near the top. "Anyway I can get up there?" After much searching, she discovered a ladder. "Watch out." Ellie narrowly avoided the descending ladder. Once it was stationery, she climbed it and arrived at the top.

"Where do we go now?" Clementine wondered aloud, resting her elbows on the wall.

"Somewhere, I guess." Ellie said, joining her.


	5. Chapter 5- Discovery

Chapter 5-Discovery

(AN: Here's the next chapter! Sorry for the wait. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to let me know :))

"And where would that somewhere be?" Clementine asked, brow furrowed. Ellie shrugged. "Somewhere other than here." She answered nonchalantly. "I'm glad to see you have your future planned out."

Ellie shoved her playfully, earning a punch on the shoulder in return. She staggered under the surprising force. "That didn't really hurt, did it?" Clementine asked worriedly. "Nah, it's cool." She replied, barely concealing a wince. "I'll just have to get you back for that sometime."

"You wish." Clementine replied with a roll of her eyes. "I'm serious. You better sleep with one eye open from now on. "If a punch does that to you, I'd hate to see you in a fist fight." Ellie let out a frustrated sigh. "I can hold my own, thanks very much." "I'm sure you can..."

"Alright then, tough stuff. Tell me how we're getting down from here. You gonna prepare a backflip for this one?" "No backflips. We don't need any injuries... Pass me that ladder." Clementine instructed, peering over the edge at the ground below. Pulling the ladder up, she pushed it over until it was resting precariously on the edge. "I don't think it's going to reach the ground on the others side... And we can't exactly jump down there again. Not unless you want a broken ankle." Ellie stated unsurely. After all, it was easier climbing up the barrier than climbing down.

"It's worth a shot..." By now, both were beginning to feel nervous about the situation. With nightfall fast approaching, it wasn't a good idea to be stranded on a wooden fort, visible to all around them.

"I don't see how we're getting down otherwise." Ellie reasoned. "We need to keep moving... I hate being in one place for too long." "Well, let's give this a shot. Unless you were kidding about not being able to do a backflip?"

"I can't do a backflip... So, this is our only shot." Both of the girls gripped the ladder tightly. "Alright, gently push it." Clementine instructed, emphasising gently. "What, I'm not gentle all of a sudden?" Ellie returned, feigning outrage. "You're not exactly subtle... Which is a skill we could use. I'm not sure if this will work."

"Well, I'm freezing my ass off up here. I'm going, one way or the other... I'll come back and thaw you out later."

"I'm coming." Clementine said quickly, unwilling to be alone again. "Hey, don't take me seriously. Just a shitty joke, alright? I'm not gonna leave, at least if you don't want me to..." Ellie said guiltily. "It's fine. I shouldn't have took it seriously... It's just... I've lost people in the past. Maybe being alone for too long has made me more sensitive? I don't know... Let's just get this over with."

"Right." Ellie couldn't find the right words to console this girl, even though she'd been through terrible and unimaginable things herself. After thinking for a while, she came up with something. "I mean, I know it sounds fuckin' stupid, but life can only get better, right? You probably don't want to hear that right now, but that's how I like to think sometimes." She confided, getting a grip on the ladder. Clementine sighed heavily. "I guess so..."

"Alright. Let's get out of here." Holding their breath, they dropped the ladder to the ground. It rattled rather precariously, looking like it was going to fall over. Finally, the ladder's shaking ceased and it remained stationary. "Well, that's a relief. Let's move."

By now, twilight had fell. They moved on, hoping their tracks would be gone by morning, buried by the unrelenting flurry of snowflakes. "Please tell me you have some idea of where we're going..." Ellie finally broke the tense silence. "To be honest, I really don't. Should we just keep heading North?" Clementine answered. It was hard to gather her bearings during nightfall.

It seemed like yesterday when Clementine began travelling on her own. She'd been so used to completing the arduous journey to various destinations that Ellie's arrival had been a shock to her system, albeit a good and hopeful shock. "I'd rather not be stranded, but I don't see where else we can go." Ellie said, pulling her bag higher onto her shoulder. "Worst comes to worse, we can always head back the way we came." Clementine suggested, shrugging. They trekked on in silence. The only sound that broke the ominous silence was their boots making indents in the deep blanket of snow.

After some close calls with Infected, Ellie and Clementine came to a gap in the forest. Pushing broken branches out of the way, a frozen river stretched as far as the eye could see. An old rickety bridge was the only relatively safe way across. "Well, shit... What're we gonna do now?" Ellie asked worriedly, eyeing the old, crumbling planks. "That's our only way across..." Clementine answered, moving to the first step. "What if we fall in?" Ellie said anxiously.

"I can always fish you out..." She answered, in an attempt at alleviating her worries. "That'd be great... If I could actually swim." "You can't swim?" Clementine replied, colour draining from her face. "I-I just didn't have anyone to learn me! I didn't think it'd be a great idea to dive into a fucking lake and learn by myself." Ellie answered defensively. "There's probably no chance of me fishing you out by myself, you do realise that don't you?"

"Yes, I'm fully aware of that. Now should we do this?" She replied, holding out her hand. After a moment of confusion, Clementine gave her a rather awkward high five. They stepped onto the bridge, which creaked dangerously. "Are you sure we can't, uh, just go back the way we came?" Ellie asked as they moved onto the third step, narrowly avoiding a missing one. "We're here now... No turning back." There was no other way to move forward. The river seemed to stretch endlessly...

The pair moved slowly, testing each step. Halfway across, a plank gave way, knocking out others. By the time Ellie had turned around, Clementine had fallen through and landed hard on the ice, breath knocked out of her.

"Clem, you gotta move!" Ellie cried, holding out her hand. She sat up, dazed and attempted to reach her hand, which was far out of reach.

Before Clementine even knew what had happened, the ice had cracked, sending her into the swirling dark waters below.


	6. Chapter 6-Desperation

Chapter 6- Desperation

(AN: I'm really sorry for the late chapter. I've just been busy as it is the holidays, but I should be able to get one or two chapters done this week and next. Thanks for the lovely comments, hope you enjoy this chapter!)

Dread instantly seeped into Ellie's bones as she watched the small girl disappear under the churning waves. A helpless feeling came over her; there was no way she was going to get Clem out on her own.

After a tremendous effort, Clementine surfaced again, gasping for breath as the icy water seeped into her jacket. "Take my hand!" Ellie said desperately, as the bridge lurched dangerously. "It's- it's no good. I can't reach!" Clementine choked out, as another wave almost took her out.

"Fuck... Fuck... Okay. Get back." She said determinedly, getting to her feet. "Ellie! What are you doing?!"

She took a couple of steps back and weighed her options; a quick look around showed that there was nothing to pull her out of the water. The ice around Clementine was looking dangerous enough, but if she didn't act fast she'd have no chance. Ellie couldn't lose anybody else... The thought of being alone again made up her mind.

There was no time for Clementine to argue as Ellie took a running jump and dived into the water. Had she waited any longer, the entire bridge would have collapsed, injuring her fatally. The two girls stayed briefly underwater, dodging the fallen planks.

The ice had further cracked with the added weight, and they started to panic as Ellie pulled her up. Frostbite would be fast approaching if they didn't get out.

"Just- just stay with me. We're gonna get out of this..." Ellie's inability to swim made it difficult to reassure her. Clementine kept a firm grip on her arms and tried to haul her out of the water.

Her limbs seemed to be frozen in place; no matter how hard she tried, Ellie seemed to disappear further under the water.

After another couple of panicked efforts, Clementine managed to get a grip on the cracking ice, and got out. Seizing Ellie by the arms, she pulled her out of the freezing cold waters and began dragging her across the frozen wasteland. Every step seemed to make the ice crack deeper, and the river seemed to go on forever.

A nearby riverbank caught Clementine's attention. She chanced a fearful glance at Ellie; her eyes were closed and she was deathly pale. Moving faster, she finally managed to fall, exhausted onto the riverbank.

The remnants of the ice they had moved across disappeared into the hazardous, dangerous water. The matter at hand was brought back. A horrible feeling of dread swept over Clementine as she attempted to revive her. No effect seemed to be taking place; no matter what she tried, Ellie's eyelids remained closed, no sign of life visible.

This had to be some terrible joke, right? Ellie would get up any second, and make a stupid joke and they'd laugh and move on. She couldn't be alone again, she just couldn't. If Ellie didn't wake up, it'd be back to travelling alone again; wandering aimlessly, searching for nothing. Clementine sat back, hugging her knees to her chest. This was the real world. A world that didn't make allowances for grief, a feeling that would swallow you whole, creeping up on you during your darkest and lightest times.

It was back to being alone again... Back to searching for a purpose... Back to-

"What are you doing down there?" The voice of a curious young man sounded nearby. Clementine got to her feet immediately, attempting to hide the lifeless form of Ellie. "S-Stay back. I mean it."

The man came into view. Beneath his shaggy blond hair and his bushy eyebrows was a concerned look. "I'm not going to hurt you... I'm with a group, if you're looking for hospitality. It's a good place; a safe haven, if you will." His blue eyes showed kindness, but if anything, looks could definitely be deceiving.

"I've heard that story a million times. Save it." The man looked slightly taken aback at this, but he continued patiently. "My name is Jeremiah. When the outbreak began, I was with my fellow scientists." He gestured to his pristine, white lab-coat. "It was a tough time for everybody... We lost a lot of our people. Now there's just the four of us." He explained sadly. "I didn't ask for your life story." Clementine answered shortly. Another voice joined the party. "Jeremiah? Where- Oh there you are." A short, mousy haired woman appeared. Her light blue eyes widened at the sight of them.

"What's going on here?" "Well, nothing really. This little girl appeared and I tried to tell her we have a group." Jeremiah answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Honey, you don't have to be afraid of us. My name is Ashley." She said kindly, carefully descending the riverbank. "Why don't you come with and we'll see what we can do for your friend?" She suggested quietly, gesturing to Ellie.

Nowadays, it was a rare occasion for Clementine to trust anybody. She was lucky that Ellie stuck with her. "Okay..." There was no other choice. Wordlessly, she helped Ashley get Ellie to her feet and they moved further into the forest, following the winding paths until they stopped in front of a small wooden cabin. Pushing the door open, they were met with two other people; an elderly woman and a man who appeared to be her son; they shared the same grim expression and short black hair.

"Who are these?" The old woman asked suspiciously. "Just two young girls, Lillian. They're harmless. One more than the other. Can you help her?" Jeremiah asked urgently. "Bring her in. I'll see what I can do." Lillian answered reluctantly. It was clear that they'd had run ins with strangers before, possibly been betrayed by them too.

She gave Clementine a searching gaze, before leading them to the living room. "Wait here. I'll try and bring the girl around." Clem could only watch as Ellie was taken to a nearby room to be revived. "Don't worry, Lillian is a doctor. She's Blake's mother." This was somewhat reassuring, as Lillian was the only one not wearing a lab-coat. "Thank you." Clementine answered quietly, averting her gaze. "No problem." It seemed like forever when Lillian finally emerged from the room. "Is she going to be okay?" Clementine asked urgently, springing to her feet.

"She's alright. Resting at the minute, so do be careful." She answered sternly, as Clementine walked past her and entered the bedroom. Ellie was lying, bundled up. She looked tired and ill, but content. "Hey." A sort of understanding passed between the two girls in that moment. Clementine didn't hesitate as Ellie opened her arms and engulfed her in a hug.

"I'm glad you're alive." She said softly. "I'm fucking glad to be alive, thanks to you." Ellie laughed. "Don't mention it." Clementine smiled, sitting up. "So... What do you make of these people?" Ellie asked quietly. "They seem alright." Clem answered, brow furrowed.

"So we're safe?" "Yeah, we're safe. At the moment."


End file.
